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Remembering Robert Breau Sr. and Stanley Janiluinas

We join the Chelsea community in remembering two men, Robert Breau Sr. and Stanley “Moose” Janiluinas.

What these two men had in common was the support and guidance they gave to their children as they participated and excelled in sports.

We remember Mr. Breau and how he would always attend Chelsea High School basketball games at the State Armory and sit in the back row with some of the parents of other players and quietly and dignifiedly watch the game and offer positive comments about all the players including his son, Bobby Jr.

He was so proud of his son, Bobby, who was simply one of Chelsea High’s greatest athletes in the early 1970s. We imagine that Mr. Breau encouraged his children (Michael also played basketball for Chelsea High) to participate in sports but to always play with sportsmanship and teamwork in mind.

Mr. Breau was a World War II veteran and lived on Library Street for many years where he raised a family in a city he no doubt loved. He was a wonderful man who set a great example for his children and grandchildren.

So, too, “Moose” Janiluinas, a member of the Chelsea Police Department, understood that youth sports could be a stepping stone to success in high school athletics and beyond.

Mr. Janiluinas was a coach in the Chelsea Little League where his sons were tremendous players who helped the Indians become one of the league’s greatest dynasties, right up there with Robert Wheeler’s Red Legs of the 1970s.

Mr. Janiluinas’s three sons, Scott, Steven, and Jason no doubt recall those years in Little League as some of the best years of their lives.

Mr. Janiluinas brought fun and enjoyment to many young athletes who learned valuable lessons about life from him.